After face mutilation, victim recovering physically and emotionally

Last May’s face-chewing victim, Ronald Poppo, recently released a “thank you” video to his supporters close to the year anniversary of the incident.

“People in my predicament need to be helped out,” he said in an interview with ABC News . “I thank the outpouring of people in the community. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

In the video, the victim plays guitar, jokes and thanks those who supported him and made contributions towards his recovery. Despite his disfigurement, he seems to be “mostly at peace” according to Yahoo News .

Nearly 75 percent of Poppo’s face was chewed off by assailant Rudy Eugene, who was shot and killed by police at the scene of the crime last May. In reports regarding his recovery, several doctors and plastic surgeons were baffled by Poppo’s trauma to the face, and while there has been progress in his rehabilitation, are skeptical about his refusal to seek further facial surgery despite societal norms.

In an interview with reporter Alexis Shaw, Dr. Urmen Desai of University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital –where Poppo is treated – said, “It took us a while to let go of that and realize it’s not about what we want, it’s about what he wants.”